Face-plate for flush receptacles and the like and its manufacture



w. 27, 1931. A, SELTZER 1,829,422

FACE PLATE F OR FLUSH RECEP'TACLES AND THE LIKE AND ITS MANUFACTURE :Filed April 26, 1930 2 Sheets-Shea! l 147d 1 N VEN TOR:

flier 220 6) SeZigez;

- VZ/MMZQM BY M/5%%J v W1 TNESSES Oct. 27, 1931'. A. SELTZER I FACE PLATE FOR FLUSH RECEPTACLES AND THE LIKE AND ITS MANUFACTURE Filed April 26, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNE Q s J0 JZdNVENYZ R: WJM W;

' BY W 14 TORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 27, 1931 UNITED STATES rarest OFFICE ALEXANDER SELTZER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA FACE-PLATE FOR FLUSH RECEPTACLES AND THE LIKE AND ITS MANUFACTURE Application filed April 26-,

My invention relates to face-plates useful for various purposes, and particularly for covers of electric wiring receptacles such as flush receptacles, and for hand plates on swing doors, etc. I aim to provide a composite plate, comprising a sheet of pyralin, or the like, which will afford a serviceable and pleasing outer surface, over a'strong, rugged backing, that may be of a material much cheaper than pyralin. Various advantages that can be realized through the invention .will appear from my description hereinafter of selected and preferred embodiments. 7

In the drawings: i

Fig. I is a perspective front view of a cover-plate conveniently embodying the invention, a portion being broken out to show the construction. I

. Fig. II isv a perspective rear View of a backing for such a plate.

Fig. III is a plan View of a pyralin sheet cut to suitable size and shape to serve as a blank for the facing of the device shown in Fig. I.

Fig-IV is a perspective rear view of the same pyralin sheet suitably embossed or formed for application to the backing shown in Fig. II.

Fig. V shows a vertical longitudinal section through the backing and facing of Figs. II and IV assembled together, and also the dies that may be used to secure them together.

Fig. VI is a rear perspective view of the backing and facing ofFigs. II and IV, after they have been assembled and secured together as shown in Fig. V.

As a facing for my'composite face plate, I may use a sheet of pyralin (sometimes termed .celluloid), or any similar material affording a suitable outer surface and adapted to be formed and applied with the aid of heat, as hereinafter described. Sheet pyralin, .020 in. thick is suitable, This may either be a- 1930. Serial No. 447,464.

plain sheet of .020 in. thickness, or a laminated sheet consisting of a plain base .010 in. thick and a pearl front .010 in. thick, securely cemented together.

The backing for my composite face plate may preferably be of sheet metal, soft sheet 'stcel .024 in. thick being suitable. Preferably, this may have a flash or coating of copper, both for protection against rust and to improve its appearance.

Fig. I of the drawings shows a to gle switch plate 10 constructed in accor ance with my invention. As here shown, the switch plate 10 is of generally rectangular form, with its edges reduced at 11 on a bevel, and with the usual rectangular opening 12 for the switch arm and the usual countersunk screw holes 13, 13. As here shown, the beveled corners 14: of the switch plate are rounded. The'rounding of the corners 14 obviates cracking of the pyralin, which is almost unavoidable on sharp, angular corners, and gives a pleasing appearance in harmony with the soft effects of pearl pyralin. As shown where the switch plate 10 appears in section, the pyralin facing 15 not only has its margin beveled at 11 in conformity to the bevel of the backing 16, but also has its outer portion or edge 17 turned inward around and behind the edge 18 of the backing, so as to hold the facing securely to the backing. In this way, the facing 15 may-be kept so taut that no cementing or local attachment is necessary to hold it snug against the backing 16. Fig. II is a perspective rear view of the sheet metal backing 16, with its margin turned up or deflected rearward on about a 40 bevel. The backing 16 may be cut out of sheet metal and embossed to the form shown in Fig. II by a die stamping operation, or in any other suitable way.

Fig. III shows a plain, flat pyralin sheet 1566 of suitable dimensions and outline to serve as an initial blank for the facing 15.

allowance of material at the rounded cor- As will be seen from the dot-and-dash outline a of the completed-switch plate, the

ners 14a of the blank 15a is less than along the straight sides, and the material is trimmed away diagonally at 19 adjacent the corners, so that there shall not be an excessive V I them inward'around the edges 1820f the latter at one single operation,I prefer to first emboss the blank asshown (157)) in Fig, IV,"

before assembling it with the backing 16 I This -prefiJrming of the. blank, 1 5a, may be done by a die-stamping operation, with just sufiicient heat to soften the'pyrahn and glve it the necessary pliancy, For thls purpose,

metal diejs' may be jused, the outer lower die shapedio conform to the front face of the plate 10 asshown in Fig. I, andtheinner upper die shaped like the front face'of the backing 16 in Fig. II, These dies may be heated by any suitable means (such as electrical'heating elements embedded in them) to a temperature ofabout 125 F. The pyralin need onlybelheld in the dies a very short' 'time, from two to five seconds, according to and shaped into: closest conformity" tothe thecharacter of the pearl. ''The best temperature andtim for each particular lotl-of pyralin may easily be determined by'trlal:

too high on. too" prolonged heatingitends to produce a warped, crinkled, and even crumbly product, while;too little heatingffails to shape t e, pyfalin properly;

T vAs shown in Figs. IV and V, the outer I edge portions'1'7b of them ar'gins 11b of the embossedpyralin blank 151) not only PIOJGCl? rearward (and outward) beyond the edges of the backing 16 whenfthelatter is placed in the blank 15]), but. are turned'rearward to a somewhat greater 'a'.ngle,exceeding relatlvejto the face, alongl1nes 'correspondlng with the edges 18'ofthe backing; This facilscribed, or"in any. suitable manner, the metal V backing 1'6 is placed in it, the I outer portions 1760f thep'yralin -are"turned inward itates turning the outer portions 17 b inward and rearward aroundthe edges 18, as will be seen hereinafter, l Apyraliniblank15b ofthe formshowniin Fig. IV having been producedasabove dearoundandbehindthe edges laoflthe backing. This'maybe doneby a hot die-pressing operation, as shown'in Figi'Vr Forthis purq pose, the still warm pyr'alin', blank=15b may 'bej'placedinalower die 25 that conformsito port the 'blank 15b over the projected area'of he h cking l =T em a b ck Whie 7 has meantime beenfheated 0111a hotplate to; u about is then placedin'the blankj15bl 'As shown in Fig V, there "is a box-like upper the front of theffi'nishplate 10, sofas to sup:

compression springs 29.

10 at this stage.

ing.

ing put in the punch-press.

die 26' having in its lower edge a forming channel or groove 27 rounded to an approscends. This die 26 carries a plateorpad 28,

mounted therein on a plurality of helical portion .of the upper-die 26 (in which is the channel 27) may be heated to about 212 F., by means of an electrical heatingelement extending allthe way aroundv thedie. As the die 26'1descends, the pad 28 comes down inside the defiectecl margin of the backing 16,

and presses and holds the backing firmly in the pyralin blank 15b, the'pre'ssure'increasing as thesprings 2Qjare more andmore compressed. As the die 26continues to descend, the inward-curving outer side of its channel 27 encounters the portion 17b of the .pyralin and progressively defiectsand turns itrin- 'Wardand rearward around 'the' edge 18 of the backing l6,-the final result being as The lower' outer shown in section in Fig. I, and in perspective in Fig1'VI',f which is a rear view of the plate The metal backing and'thezpy'ralin facing 15 are both expanded by theheat't'oi'which theyare subjected in the dies25, 26, and the pyralin' (plastic *under the heat)" is pressed backing When they cool off after removal from these dies "25,26, they "both naturally contract or'shinki However, the pyralin fac there is no necessity for cementing or other the pyralin' to the back-v wise locally securing Theonly remaining stepis to' formjin the platellO any openingsrequired for its in tended use; This may be done by any, suitable punching mechanism, acting on the plate 10 from its front side. Preferably, the-punching mechanism: will be provided with means for holding the plate10 firmly, asshown in Fig; V, during the action of the punch or punches. In general, the punching'may be done cold; but for large countersunk or beveledged openings (as in push-button switch plates), the plate '10 is'pre-ferably heated to about212? F. on a hot-plate, just before be- My face plate constructed asabove described 'a'fi'ords many advantages;

Besides presentingia pleasing appearance,

it is v durable, sanitary, incorrodible ,unafiected by atmospheric conditions, doesnot gather dirt, is easily cleaned, and retains itsfo'rigtive. Moreover, it can be faced with pyralin of any color desired, and in soft, shimmering pearl effects, as well as in plain colors, so as to harmonize with any scheme of interior decoration.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A face plate of the character described comprising a sheet metal backing with margins bevelled rearward, and a pyralin facing sheet over said backing having its original integral margins bevelled rearward on those of the backing and turned inward around and behind them.

2. A face plate according to claim 1, of substantially rectangular outline but having its corners rounded sharply so as to obviate cracking of the pyralin on them without degracting from the generally rectangular efect.

3. A face plate of the character described comprising a sheet metal backing with margins deflected rearward, and a pyralin facing sheet over said backing, said facing sheet having its original integral margins turned around and behind the margins of the backing, and being shrunk on the backing and thus tautly stretched over the same.

4. A face plate according to claim 3, of substantially rectangular outline but having the deflected corners of its backing rounded, so as to obviate cracking of the pyralin by stretching on them.

5. A method of fabricating a face plate comprising a pyralin facing sheet over a sheet metal backing having its margins deflected rearward, which method comprises hot die-pressing a pyralin sheet and thereby deflecting its margins to conform to those of said backing, with their outer portions proecting rearward beyond the edges of said backing, and then hot-pressing and turnlng said projecting portions around and behind the margins of said backing, so as to lock the pyralin securely to the backing and streltch it taut over the latter when the parts coo 6. A method according to claim 5, further characterized in that in preforming the margins of the pyralin to conform to the backing,

their projecting outer portions are preliminarily bent rearward somewhat in correspondence with the edges of the backing, so as to facilitate turning them around and behind the edges of the backing.

7. A method of securing over a sheet metal backing with rearward-deflected margins a sheet pyralin facing having its margins deflected rearward conformably to those of said backing, with their outer portions projectmg rearward beyond the edges of said back ing at an angle to the face of the sheet exceeding 45 degrees; which method comprises holding said backing firmly pressed into said facing While supporting the latter over the projected area of the backing, and pressing 

